Muzzle loading rifles have an essentially closed breech at the rear of the barrel, so that powder and bullets must be loaded at the muzzle or forward end of the barrel. A typical muzzle loading rifle has a barrel with a breech plug attached to occupy an enlarged threaded rear bore portion of the barrel at the breech end. In some rifles, the breech plug is permanently attached. In others, the breech plug is removable to facilitate pass-through cleaning of the bore.
A typical removable breech plug has a finely threaded body that screws into the rear of the barrel, with 10-15 turns to secure it in place. This facilitates removal for cleaning. However, the number of turns requires significant time and effort to remove and replace the plug, particularly when affected by the fouling associated with muzzle loading rifles. Such fouling can clog the threads, requiring an undesirably great torque to remove the plug, through the many rotations required.
Accordingly, it is common practice to apply a lubricant such as grease to the threads each time the breech is assembled. This facilitates later removal, and further occupies any gaps between the breech plug and the threaded bore to minimize incursion of fouling gases and particles. While effective, application of grease can be a messy procedure. The typical approach is for the shooter to apply a dab of grease to a fingertip, and wipe it inside the threaded bore. This is messy, does not ensure complete coverage, and the sharp threads can cause discomfort or injury. In addition, fingertip lubrication can lead to excessive lubrication. It is relatively easy for a blob of grease to be pushed beyond the threaded area, and even into the bore of the barrel. The presence of excessive grease then may lead to additional fouling, as the residue from grease combustion accumulates during firing. This also could lead to misfires because it may block the fire channel.
Other types of muzzleloading rifles employ an interrupted thread on the breech plug. These are even more difficult to manually lubricate, because the bore has threaded portions and clearance portions, and the user must avoid building up excess grease on the clearance portions, while also avoiding the sharp corners at the beginnings and ends of the threads.
In addition, the application of grease is normally made in the field, or at the firing range. Consequently, the tube of grease commonly employed is vulnerable to loss of its cap, contamination, and accumulated mess transferred from a greasy finger.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a nozzle for lubricating an internally threaded rifle breech. The nozzle has a body having a bore, with an inlet end adapted to receive a supply of lubricant. The body has an opposed end portion having a cylindrical wall and an enclosed free end. The cylindrical wall has a number of lubricant exit apertures. The body may be L-shaped, and the inlet may be threaded for connection to a lubricant container. The cylindrical wall of the end portion may have an external diameter less than an adjacent portion diameter, so that a shoulder is formed to limit insertion depth. A cap may be provided to cover the exit apertures so that the body may remain attached to the lubricant container.